Texas House OKs giving adoption agencies ‘religious refusal’

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A bill headed to the Texas Senate would allow publicly funded foster care and adoption agencies to refuse to place children with non-Christian, unmarried or gay prospective parents because of religious objections.

The state House gave final approval 93-49 on Wednesday, after lengthy debate the previous night. The state Senate is even more conservative, though passage isn’t guaranteed with the legislative session weeks away from ending.

Sponsors say the bill is designed to keep faith-based organizations offering child placement services. They say LGBT couples will be able to find agencies without religious objections.

Many adoption agencies in Texas already admit to not working with adoptive parents who are single, gay or non-Christian. The bill could keep them from being sued.